7. Empirical Methods of studying Concept

General information

Theoretical Methods (Approaches to understand the phenomenon of Сoncept) are not to be mixed up with the Empirical Methods of research (techniques to analyze and interpret it).

The problem of understanding Concept concerns with the question of peculiar relations of Meaning (under-individual, general for a group, fixed in dictionaries understanding, definition of a word – linguistic substituter of an object, thing, phenomenon which becomes the linguistic name of a concept) and Sense (individual understanding of a phenomenon). Meanings of words form Objective semantics. Associations to them form Subjective semantics. Peculiarities of correlation of objective and subjective semantics help to understand the phenomenon of a definite concept. Thus, each method, more or less, concerns with studying objective and subjective semantics (for example, through studying contextual peculiarities of textual organization to understanding its implication (Conceptual Analysis, Interpretation of Text) or through comparative studying of linguistic meanings and individual associations to interpreting personal concepts (Associative Experiment)).

Some of the methods used in cognitive linguistic research:

1. The method of Associative experiment (method of psychology, psycholinguistics; introduced on the first steps of empirical psychological research by V.Vundt): the study of semantics which is differentiated as objective semantics (which is fixed in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books) and subjective (associative meanings of people as peculiarities of their perception of the phenomena which have their linguistic names; i.e. responses (associations) to the stimuli (lexical representatives of the phenomena)).

2. The method of Semantic Differential (Ch.Osgood, a psycholinguist): the analysis of the cognitive-emotive perception of a phenomenon on the base of the responders’ assessments of the qualities and characteristics of it.

3. The method of Conceptual analysis (L.V.Babenko, U.V.Kazarin): the method is widely used in the study of the concepts of a literary text; it combines certain analysis of the concept and system of concepts of a literary text as a metaphor (or metaphors), includes psycholinguistic analysis of syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations of the language elements used in the text and results in building a model of system of concepts of the text and interpreting it.

4. Interpretation of Text.

5. Analysis of the vocabulary meanings of the linguistic name and associative names of a concept.

6. The method of complex psycholinguistic speech analysis, etc.

Method of Associative Experiment

Essence:

Method of psychology, psycholinguistics; introduced on the first steps of empirical psychological research by V.Vundt: the study of semantics which is differentiated as objective semantics (which is fixed in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books) and subjective (associative meanings of people as peculiarities of their perception of the phenomena which have their linguistic names; i.e. responses (associations) to the stimuli (lexical representatives of the phenomena)).

Procedure:

Recipients (those who are tested) are given a certain set of words-stimuli to give their associative answers to each stimulus (the first thought, association is significant). Time is limited: for recipients to catch and write in the first association but not a thought-out version.

The results then are collected and studied. Identical answers are counted. Those (that) which are (is) presented in the biggest number forms the nucleus of the semantic field of a studied concept. Associations presented in a fewer number form the closest periphery of a concept. Then follows the associations which form the next layer of the periphery and thus to the associations which are presented in the fewest number and form the farthest layer of the periphery.

Building structure of the Semantic field of a concept helps to understand its content, its structure and comprehend hierarchy of conceptual values in the World Picture of the recipients.

Types:

1) Free associative experiment: recipients are not given any limits for their reactions presenting (as many as they want, in the form they want. For example: show your associations to the following words…);

2) Directed associative experiment: recipients are offered to give associations of a certain grammar or semantic class (for example: add an adjective to each of the following nouns);

3) Linking associative experiment: recipients are asked to give several associative responses to each of the given stimuli (for example: during 20 seconds to give 10 associations).

Results’ interpretation:

There are two general types of associations distinguished:

As for the type of semantics:

1) Objective semantics (which is fixed in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books);

2) Subjective (associative meanings of people as peculiarities of their perception of the phenomena which have their linguistic names; i.e. responses (associations) to the stimuli (lexical representatives of the phenomena)).

As for the relations of language signs:

1) Syntagmatic (different grammar classes are joined and thus form a certain basis for future utterance): reflect speaking relations;

2) Paradigmatic (of the same grammar class): reflect language relations.

Results’ value: Analysis of associations and their correspondence with the stimuli can allow to define:

1) the word-stimulus (on the ground of known associations);

2) the degree of thinking eccentricity or typicality (typical or extraordinary responses and peculiarity of them);

3) the level of education (variety of vocabulary);

4) the direction of education (syntagmatic (humanitarian) or paradigmatic (technical) associations);

5) belonging to a certain culture (for example, associations to the stimulus ‘bread’: Russian – salt, French – wine, Uzbek – tea (A.A.Zalevska));

6) peculiarities of historical development (for example, the level of stereotypical associations has increased (because of MEDIA): 1910 – 46%; 1954 – 60% nowadays – 80% typical responses throughout the world), etc.

Results of associative experiments are processed and published in the specific associative dictionaries, which helps to figure out a typical national character or World Picture etc.

Method of Conceptual Analysis

The Method of Conceptual Analysis is widely used in the analysis of literary works. It was introduced to the home cognitive linguistic research by the Russian linguists L.V.Babenko and U.V.Kazarin. The method implies the following steps of the research of the conceptual system/sphere of a literary text.

1. Steps of the analysis:

2. Distinguishing of before-text presuppositions which were important for the formation of conceptual space of the text under analysis such as

- the time and place of creating it (historical, cultural, social peculiarities);

- the name of the author (some biographical features reflected or influenced a certain author’s conceptual position);

- the role of an epigraph (a certain motive, supposition to be comprehended at the time of reading and interpreting the content, context and implication), etc.

3. Analysis of the semantics of the title and of its semantic radius in the text.

4. Conducting a psycholinguistic experiment:

- distinguishing a number of the key words of the text and analysis of their semantics (cognitive linguistic sphere);

- identifying repeated words which correlate with the key words paradigmatically and syntagmatically and analysis of the peculiarities of their relations (cognitive grammatical sphere);

- revealing the main key word of the text – a lexical representative of the leading concept of the work (cognitive linguistic sphere);

- distinguishing lexical thematic groups with different expressive power, i.e. analysis of the lexical structure/composition of the text (cognitive emotive sphere).

5. Description of the Sphere of Concepts of the text under analysis (or a version – of the works of an author) which implies generalization of generalizing of all the contexts the key words (‘bearers’ of the conceptual meaning, sense, essence) are used in. the aim of that is to interpret all the possible characteristic proprieties of the concept under analysis (its attributes, predicates, associations, figurative images, etc.).

6. Modeling of the structure of the Sphere of Concepts:

- distinguishing of the nucleus of the Sphere (basic cognitive propositional phenomenon and its linguistic representative);

- around nucleus zone (main lexical representatives);

- closest periphery (image associations);

- farthest periphery (subjective modal meanings, senses).

The method allows to comprehend the conceptual message of a literary text, its idea, personality of the author, his world view; distinguish existential cultural, historical, personal, etc. values, motives, principles and perceptions of the world.

The method of complex psycholinguistic speech analysis